Particle size and fat encapsulation define the colloidal dispersibility and reconstitution of growing-up milk powder

Abstract

Growing-up milk (GM) powders of contrasting colloidal behavior in aqueous suspension were studied by laser diffraction under wet and dry conditions. The reconstitution of the GM powders considered the interdependencies between particle size and the presence of encapsulated fat. The GM powders of low dispersibility presented fines associated with large particles. By contrast, the highly dispersible GM powder included fat encapsulated with fine particles (20 – 80 µm). Complementary analyses (morphological, SEM, spectroscopic, and thermal, DSA) analyses showed that the fine particles with free fat were more adhesive and presenetd poorer dispersibility, and lower soluble concentrations of macronutrients, eventually reducing the dispersibility in water.